1.06.2011

Hidden Places

16x20 inches, oil on hardboard panel, 2011

This painting came from a small sketch of an interior where a boy is taking off his rabbit suit right next his girlfriend who is laying naked in her bed. However, as I took this idea from a sketch into a painting, I saw it would be difficult to figure out the perspective of the boy in the middle of the room since the perspective is from such a high angle above them. So I changed it's composition. Now he was silhouetted and walking down stairs, blending into the foreground and now the focus was on the girl. When one's life has become predictable & monotonous one should conclude that doing something unexpected is necessary! That's the idea I had for this painting. This depicts the moment of anticipation...where the outcome is unknown. Will they burst into laughter together because they are in happy loving moods or could there be an awkward silence because they are feeling awkward? Also, to me, it's about experimenting with Control; instead of giving in to monotony she does something entirely different from the norm, changing the pace of her present moments. I intended her expression to show a hint of fear of the unknown because that's a very real feeling, one I can relate to. [Edit: I showed it to the public via art walk when it was finished, I would have added more excitement in her expression though, had I known I'd receive a lot of odd responses. It was entertaining to hear the variety of things said about Hidden Places, but also a bit unsettling that so many were reminded of negative things in their lives because of it, or so they said. It's just a painting though, so truly, I regret nothing]! What do you think of this painting?